Bartolo Colon
Bartolo Colón (born May 24, 1973 in Altamira, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He won the American League Cy Young Award with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in . Biography A prospect from the Dominican Republic, Colón was signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in and made his major league debut at the Anaheim Angels on April 4, , receiving a no decision . Minor Leagues In , pitching for Kinston of the Class-A Carolina League, he finished second in wins with 13 and ERA with 1.96, and led the circuit with 152 strikeouts. He was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year, despite shutting down on August 1 with a bruised elbow. Played AAA ball with the Buffalo Bisons and is the only player to ever throw a no hitter in Dunn Tire Park history. Major Leagues In his first season 1997, Colón went 4-7 with a 5.65 ERA. In his season, one year after helping his Indians to the 1998 American League Championship Series, Colón finished 18-5, pitching over 200 innings with 161 strikeouts and a 3.95 ERA. In , Colón eclipsed his strikeouts number by 51, ending with 212. He also posted a career-high 98 walks. was his best season to date, but it came in Cleveland and Montreal. Just prior to the 2002 trade deadline, Colón and Tim Drew were traded to the Montreal Expos in exchange for Lee Stevens, Brandon Phillips, and prospects Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee. Colón finished 2002 with a combined 20-8 record and a 2.93 ERA, including 76 earned runs with 70 walks in 233.1 innings, three shutouts, and eight complete games. Bartolo Colon is the last major league pitcher to win 20 games in one season while splitting the season between both leagues. The previous pitcher to turn the trick was Rick Sutcliffe in season, Colón was traded to the Chicago White Sox as part of a three-team deal, including the New York Yankees. He finished 2003 with a 15-13 record. A free agent after the season, he signed with the Anaheim Angels. Colón won 18 games with Anaheim in . During the 2005 season, he went 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA, and became the first Angels pitcher to win the Cy Young Award since Dean Chance in . Due to a partially torn rotator cuff that he received in a playoff game against the Yankees in 2005, Colón spent much of the season on the DL with soreness or inflammation in his right shoulder. In 10 starts, Colón went 1-5 with a 5.11 ERA. On April 21, , his first start of the 2007 season following his return from the DL, Colon pitched 7 innings, allowing one run on seven hits for his first win in 2007. On February 25, Colón signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox and was invited to spring training.Red Sox sign former Cy winner Colon On May 21, Colón's contract was purchased by the Red Sox, and he was added to the active roster. Colón pitched his first major league game for the Red Sox on May 21, 2008 against the Kansas City Royals. Highlights *Pitched no-hitter in as a member of the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. *2005 AL Cy Young Award winner. *On May 15, 2008, Colón threw a 1 hitter for the Red Sox' AAA minor league team, the Pawtucket Red Sox. *Two-time All-Star (1998, 2005). *Won his only start of the 1998 American League Championship Series, pitching a four-hit, one-run complete game. *Has pitched 31 complete games, ranking 16th among active players as of the end of 2006. See also *List of Cy Young Award winners *Dominican Republic national baseball team * List of Major League Baseball wins champions Notes External links * May August | after = David Cone Mark Mulder José Contreras }} Category:1973 births Category:American League All-Stars Category:American League wins champions Category:Anaheim Angels players Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Chicago White Sox players Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Dominican Republic baseball players Category:Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim players Category:Major league pitchers Category:Montreal Expos players Category:Living people Category:Buffalo Bisons players Category:Pawtucket Red Sox players Category:Kinston Indians players Category:Players